These food threads recently have got me thinking about my new puppy’s diet.
I just got her last week from a woman who was giving away a litter in the Wallyworld parking lot.
obligatory photo
She’s 10 weeks old and of largely unknown lineage. she’s pretty big, although I’m not 100% sure how large she’ll be. The woman giving her litter away thought they would get up around 60lbs. She was slightly smaller than the rest of her siblings.
I’ve been feeding her Hill’s Science Diet puppy food, which is what she was getting before I acquired her.
so - what, in your opinion, is the absolute best puppy food out there?
Wysong
Wysong makes really superb dog and cat food. Cold processed meat - the best ingredients. I got it from their website. They have a “growth” I think it’s called dogfood for puppies.
Its really hard to say. I would like to feed something that has passed AAFCO feeding trials, not something that is just “formulated to meet AAFCO standards” you can check this statement on most bags of dog food. I like Nature’s Variety, they do have one dog food that passed AAFCO feeding trials.
Wysong was recalled previously because of mold problems. I don’t think they have passed AAFCO feeding trials.
I know it’s not rated as one of the best, but my puppy is thriving and looks absolutely fantastic on plain old Pedigree Puppy. She is shiny - like big time shiny - it now has omega’s in it. She is happy, normal weight and just right, so for now we are not changing.
My other 2 dogs have been on Dick Van Patten’s Ultra and Duck/Potato for years and have done great on them. (Petco carries it). I know it’s a high-rated food based on good protein, little fillers, etc.
Awwww! She is absolutely adorable!! What’s her name? Go to a pet food store and read the labels. Innova, Taste of The Wild, Blue Buffalo, Wellness, Nature’s Recipe, etc. are excellent because they are fresh meat (not nasty crap/filler/by products), no corn or soy, all kinds of vegetables and fruits that are highly digestible and good for your dog. God bless you for taking her and looking for the right answers for her care. She is truly precious – looks like some pointer – maybe German Shorthaired in the mix. I’d love to hug her – so give her one for me!
PennyG
Here is a good resource for food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
I strongly suggest a 4 or 5 star food. Also if you dog is a large breed dog, please ask your vet about switching them over to a non puppy formula at about 6 months. You don’t want them to grow too fast at that point with the large breeds.
Remember to get you new puppy properly vaccinated pronto and spay/neuter as quickly as possible.
I don’t know that it is the best, but I am currently feeding my 11 week old large breed puppy Innova large breed puppy. I did have to switch him over to that, and it seems to be going well - everything is agreeing with him right now. I have also heard that the Eagle Pack large breed puppy formula is good.
You could spend more, but why? I’ve fed and raised over 100 puppies on Hills’ Science Diet Puppy food. They thrive on it.
I currently have my puppy on Merrick’s puppy plate canned and dry food. My dog has the shiniest black fur. http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/5689079519/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simbalism/5689079549/ Your pup is very cute!
I prefer to have the meat ingredient first on the list – this is what spca here gives adoptors but I switched to Blue Buffalo
http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-puppy-healthy-development-original-dry.html
Ingredients
Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Brewers Rice, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-lysine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Magnesium Oxide, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
[QUOTE=PAF;5599302]
Here is a good resource for food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
I strongly suggest a 4 or 5 star food. Also if you dog is a large breed dog, please ask your vet about switching them over to a non puppy formula at about 6 months. You don’t want them to grow too fast at that point with the large breeds.
Remember to get you new puppy properly vaccinated pronto and spay/neuter as quickly as possible.[/QUOTE]
It is actually incorrect to switch a large breed dog to adult food at 6 months. They ARE still growing and need the protein and calories required for growth in that ratio; you just need to feed LESS of the puppy food.
http://www.vetlearn.com/Portals/0/PV0510_Nutrition.pdf
Choosing a GROWTH formula and making sure your puppy stays lean (not thin, not fat) is the key to a healthy start and preventing developmental orthopedic disease if he is an at-risk breed.
For the OP, here’s a great guide to feeding the puppy: http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/vth/sa/clin/cp_handouts/Nutrition_Growing_Puppy.pdf
1 Like
Thats to bad about Wysong. I’ve fed Wysong since I was a kid, really like it.
You couldn’t PAY me to feed Hills Science Diet. That stuff is CORN MEAL junk, all my vets in the last ten years have refered to it as “crap” and would NEVER recommend feeding it (unless they were perscribing the Pescription MEDICATION line of Hills and only because there was really nothing else avaliable, sadly Royal Cainin who also does RX is ALSO corn meal) and one step above Ol’Roy Walmart dog food which is “dirt in a bag”.
Like others have said, Taste of the Wild, Wellness, Blue Buffalo, Innova, Earthborn, Solid Gold, Canidae ect. In general if the label has Corn Meal or Corn Gluten (Science Diet/Pedigree/Gravy Train/Purina ect) pass on it. If at all possible avoid, corn, wheat and soy. Look for products with foods with MEAT, veggies, and fruit but nothing you would really feed to a cow i.e. corn, wheat, soy.
I use Orijen and really like it. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better quality food.
I don’t like anything made by Natura Pet anymore (EVO, Innova, Cal Nat) since P&G bought them out. They’ll ruin a good thing in short order. This line USED to be one of my favorites.
I also don’t like TOTW as that is made by Diamond Pet Foods…famous for recalls so can’t be trusted in my book. They use low quality ingredients.
[QUOTE=vtdobes;5600708]
I use Orijen and really like it. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better quality food.
I don’t like anything made by Natura Pet anymore (EVO, Innova, Cal Nat) since P&G bought them out. They’ll ruin a good thing in short order. This line USED to be one of my favorites.
I also don’t like TOTW as that is made by Diamond Pet Foods…famous for recalls so can’t be trusted in my book. They use low quality ingredients.[/QUOTE]
A lot of people are leaving Proctor and Gamble food lines now. Seems they are buying out everything. Ive heard great things about Orijen though.
Well P&G have a proven track record of ruining food. I know many others in my area who switched when they bought Natura Pet.
Yes, vtdobe, I’ve heard the same thing. I just got my puppy and he was on Iams food. I got the Innova because I thought that it would be less of a jump from some of the other foods. He’s switched over quite well, but I might switch him next time because of the P&G thing.
Your best bet is to go with a grain-free or single-grain ingredient type of food. You don’t have to be completely restricted by brands; there sure are a lot of them and everyone tends to have a strong opinion one way or the other.
Higher protein, lower carbs are a very good choice. Many dogs have itchy skin allergies or digestive problems with grains. Avoid corn and soy. You can look for something as simple as the “single-protein, single-carb” type of food like California Naturals or other Limited-ingredient-diet foods, to something with an ingredient list you’d be jealous of (Fromm, Spot’s Stew, Wilderness by Blue Buffalo, etc.) It all depends on your budget and your dog (and her taste preferences! Mine have always made me quite aware if they dislike something).
fyi - Royal Canin was bought by Pedigree maker Mars
http://www.mars.com/global/global-brands/royal-canin.aspx
Yea, I was surprised Royal Canin diets have not undergone or passed AAFCO feeding trials either. I really don’t want to feed a food that can’t even prove 6/8 dogs will survive being fed that food for a few months.
